Combat Pay Protection Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9465
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-25: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-10T14:35:59Z
AI-Generated Summary
Summary of H.R. 9465: Combat Pay Protection Act
Purpose of the Legislation
This bill aims to protect the value of special and incentive pays for U.S. Armed Forces members by establishing automatic one-time and ongoing increases tied to inflation or basic pay growth. It also clarifies pay rules for reserve component members.
Key Provisions Outlined
- One-time corrective increase: Effective January 1 of the first year after enactment, the Secretary of Defense must raise each covered pay by the greater of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) change since the last increase or the growth in average basic pay rates.
- Recurring annual adjustments: Starting the following year and each January 1 thereafter, covered pays increase by the greater of the prior year's CPI change or the annual basic pay raise.
- Covered pays: Includes bonuses, incentives, and special pays under chapter 5 of title 37, U.S. Code, plus the allowance under section 427.
- Override of limits: Increases apply regardless of any statutory maximum amounts.
- Publication requirement: The Secretary must publish a table of adjustments in the Federal Register by December 31 of the enactment year.
- Reserve component clarification: Amends section 357 to apply "bonus, incentive, or special pay" authorities to reserve members without prior conditional language.
Significant Changes to Existing Law Introduced
- Adds new section 1017 to chapter 19 of title 37, U.S. Code, creating mandatory CPI- or basic pay-linked adjustments for special pays.
- Removes previous restrictions in section 357 that limited reserve component eligibility for such pays.
- Establishes that adjustments supersede any conflicting limits in other laws.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Increases Department of Defense compensation costs, requiring budget adjustments for military pays.
- On citizens: Raises total compensation for eligible service members, potentially improving retention and morale.
- On international relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Active duty and reserve members of the Armed Forces receiving special or incentive pays.
- Department of Defense and military service branches responsible for implementing adjustments.
- Congress, due to its role in military pay policy and appropriations.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legally, the bill overrides existing statutory caps on pay amounts, potentially expanding executive authority in compensation adjustments.
- No explicit constitutional issues are raised in the text.
- The measure introduces automatic indexing mechanisms, shifting from purely statutory or administrative pay changes.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8]
Cosponsors (3)
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7], Rep. Mills, Cory [R-FL-7], Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-25: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- 2026-06-25: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-25: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Combat Pay Protection Act — issued 2026-06-25 — PDF (5 pages)